This invention relates to a wheel decking apparatus and method and more particularly to an improved method and apparatus for automatically mounting tires and wheels on automotive vehicles as they travel along a conveyor line.
As with many industries, the trend in the automotive industry is toward increased automation. Various steps on the assembly line previously performed manually are now done automatically. One area, however, where automation has presented significant problems is in the mounting of wheels and tires on a vehicle as it travels along an assembly line. This operation has, heretofore, resisted automation due to the difficulty in correctly positioning the vehicle on the line, correctly positioning the hubs onto which the wheels are mounted and insuring correct mounting of the appropriate wheel and tire on the correct vehicle.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for mounting wheels and tires on vehicles as they travel along a conveyor line.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved wheel decking apparatus and method wherein the vehicle on which the wheels are to be mounted is appropriately oriented prior to the mounting step and also wherein the hubs onto which the wheels are to be mounted are also appropriately oriented.